Charles Zaffini has a B.A. degree in Political Science and Communications from the University of Massachusetts. He has worked as an aide to Congresswoman Margaret Heckler of Massachusetts, and as a Christian educator in Columbus, Ohio since 1980. After 16 years as a teacher of History and Bible at Tree of Life Christian High School, Mr. Zaffini founded Veritas Academy as a Classical-Christian study center for home-school families. His passion is for the recovery of our civilization's heritage, particularly the religious and familial underpinnings of American freedom. He is married to Jana (Jenkins) Zaffini and has six children, all of whom have been educated within the context of home, church, and private school.
Mrs. Junker has a B.S. in Music Education from Elon University, with vocal music and woodwinds as her principles areas of study. She has taught Music Appreciation and Recorder Class at Veritas since 2002. She is also a teacher for Kinder Musik.
Mrs. Bettinger was born and raised in Argentina where Spanish was her first language. She is a certified kindergarten teacher. Mr. & Mrs. Bettinger moved to the U.S. shortly after marrying in 1993. Mrs. Bettinger became part of Christian Fellowship Church of Bellefontaine and has been very actively involved with children of the church.
When their daughter Melissa became school age, they decided to homeschool and Mrs. Bettinger became part of Logan County Co-Op where she taught Spanish. Mrs. Bettinger has taught at Veritas since 2005, which was also her daughter's first year attending Veritas.
Mrs. Kessler earned a B.A. in English from The King's College, NY, with teaching certification in secondary education, and an M.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University. She taught in public and Christian schools for six years and homeschooled her children over fourteen years. For a short time she and her husband served as missionaries in Eritrea and Uganda. She has taught at Veritas Academy for the past four years.
Melody holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toledo. Her original certification was for grades 7 - 12 in English, Speech and Theater. She also enjoys working with younger students, and has created curriculum for Sunday School and after-school theater programs for third and fourth graders.
Melody is married and has two grown sons. She is very active at Sawmill Baptist church and in community theater. For four years, she served as Titus Woman/Mentor to a Mothers-of-Pre-schoolers (MOPS) chapter and was crucial to the successful launching of the Sawmill Baptist Women's Ministry, serving as their first president.
Mrs. Judy Miller has a B.S. from The Ohio State University in Natural Resources. She has taught outdoor education at the middle school level and served as a Naturalist for the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, as well as working with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Judy and her husband, Mark, have homeschooled their 2 children for the past 10 years. Both children are students at Veritas. The Millers attend Orange Road Evangelical Friends Church.
Judy has a passion for working with and ministering to middle school and early high school students.
Dr. Niknam has earned his Master and Ph.D. degrees in Polymer chemistry from the University of Akron, Ohio. He is married and has four children and he is a proud Messianic Jew.
Mrs. Novak has a B.S. in History and B.A. in French language and Literature. She lectured and completed her graduate study at the Ohio State University. She also taught at the Columbus School for Girls and the Grace Brethren Home Educators Fellowship. Elena has been teaching French and Latin at Veritas since 1997.
Mr. Race has a B.S. in Natural Resources from Ohio State University. He also has a degree in Pastoral Studies from Rhema Bible Training Center, and fifteen years of service in pastoral ministry. Mr. Race taught American History and secondary Bible at Muskingum Christian Academy, Zanesville previously. He currently pursues graduate studies at Ashland Theological Seminary.
Steve and his wife, Kit, have two daughters, Hannah and Mary, students at Veritas. Kit currently serves Veritas as Office Assistant.
Mrs. Riggleman graduated from Ohio State University in 1985 with a B.S. in Education. She and her family attend Upper Arlington Lutheran Church. She has been a homeschool mother for eleven years and has been teaching language arts at Veritas since 2003.
Mrs. Titterington has a B.S. in Genetics, a M.S. in Experimental Pathology, and is completing her Ph.D. in Science Education at Ohio State University. She has taught physiology and anatomy at Columbus State Community College since 1992. She has a special love of literature and teaches 5-6th grade English and Science, as well as high school Biology, Physical Science, and Anatomy and Physiology with distinction.
Jimmy has a B.A. in Philosophy from Wheaton College. Prior to that he attended Veritas Academy from 1997 to 2002, and has returned to teach a class at Veritas entitled Trivium and the Liberal Arts. Jimmy also coaches soccer at Veritas.
Kathleen Chrysler has a degree in Elementary Education (grades 1 – 8) from Miami University, (Oxford, Ohio). She taught for several years in both private and public schools, has homeschooled her four children for the past 12 years, and has taught a variety of classes in a co-op setting. Kathleen and her husband Tom have served as middle school youth leaders at Agape Community Fellowship for the past 18 years. Their children have attended Veritas the past 4 years. Kathleen is also an advisor for the Veritas Yearbook Club.